Mail-bag-delivery apparatus.



N. 816,878;4 PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

J. T. NASH. MAINE BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS.

2 SHE'ETSSHEBT 1.

PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

ANo. 316,878. A

J. T. NASH.

MAIL BAG DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN 26, 1906.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i.; FN 4' j 2, 5 :g

.A f A i' f., l: Z 'f JOHN T. N ASH, 0F LEXINGTUN, KENTUCKY.

iWAlLmBAGNDELIi/EIFEY APPARATUS.

no. sleeve.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application led January 26, 1906. Serial No 298,061.

To n/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Jol-1N T. NASH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Fayette and State ol Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in h/Iail-Bag-Delivery Apparae tus, oiI which the following is a specilication.

My invention pertains to mail-bag delivery, and has 'lier one el its objects to provide a simple, durable, and reliable equipment for delivering mail-bags to and taking mail-bags i'rom a car ol' a moving train, and this without subjecting the attendants to any danger whatever. y

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mail-bag crane susceptible ol being expeditiously and easily reversed and in that way adapted for proper operation irrespective of the direction in which an approaching train is moving.

Another object is the provision in a mailbag-delivery equipment of means whereby the car attendant is apprised of the fact when a mail-bag is delivered from or received on the bag-holders of the car device and means whereby suoli attendant is enabled to so position the car device relative to the interior of the car that he can place a bag on or take a bag from said device without hazardl and can then replace the car device in lits proper working position with respect to the crane.

Still another object is the provision in a mail-bag-delivery equipment of an eye adapted. 'for connection to a bag and constructed with a view oil assuring proper operation of the apparatus notwithstanding swaying or lateral movement of the mail-car while the same is passing the crane.

Other advantageous features of my invention will be fully understood from the follow ing description and. claims when the same are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming p art of this sp eci'lication, in which` Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the car device and the crane ol my improved apparatus in proper juxtaposition and ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view showing the car device in proper position for operation. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse section taken through the car in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the means whereby the attendant within the caris enabled to swing the car device outwardly from the doorway of the car, so as to properly position said car device for operation in connection with the crane. Fig. t is a detail transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 4 et of Fig. 2 and showing the means for notifying the car attendant when a bag is delivered. from or taken on the car device. Fig. 5 is a detail view el one end of the bag and the eye connected therewith.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views oill the drawings, reiferring to which- A is a mail-car which is provided with a doorway a and is otherwise of the ordinary ori any other construction compatible with the purposes oi my invention.

B B are longitudinally-disposed horizontal bearings iiXedly connected to the side wall of the car about in line with the upper end of the doorway a.

C is a shaft disposed longitudinally of the car and arranged. to move endwise and turn on its axis in the bearings B, and D is the car device, carried by the said shaft C. The shaft C is provided at its rear end with a crank and this crank is connected with a lever c, which is liulcrumed in and works through a transverse slot clin the wall ol the car and is connected in turn to a rod e, Fig. 3, through which it is connected with a pedal-lever f, :fulcrumed inside of the car and arranged to be placed in engagement with and disengaged Afrom a keeper g. By noticing the arrangement of the device D relative to the shaft C it will be apparent that when the pedal-leverf is released from the keeper g the said device D will gravitate to a position adjacent to the doorway a, so as to enable the car attendant to place a bag on or take a bag 'from the device without hazard. It will also be apparent that when the car attendant depresses the leverf with his foot and places said lever in engagement with the keeper g the device D will be moved to and secured in its extended position, ready Yfor cooperation with the crane hereinafter described.l

With a view of cushioning the shaft C when a bag is taken on or delivered from the device D, as well as to return the said device D to and normally hold the same in the position showni. e., in transverse alinement with the doorway LMI provide the coiled spring adjacent to the holder s.

E, which surrounds the said shaft U and is interposed between the shank 7i of the device D and the rear bearing B.

To apprise the car attendant of the fact when a bag is taken on or delivered from the device D, I provide the gong 7c, mounted within the ear, Figs, 2 and 4, a lever Z, fulcrumed and working in a horizontal slot m in the side wall of the car and arranged to strike the gong la, and a connection n, preferably a coiled spring, interposed between and connected to the outer arm of the lever Z andthe adjacent end of the shaft C. ln virtue of this provision it will be apparent that when the device D cooperates withthe crane either to deliver or take a bag the shaft C will be moved endwise in a rearward direction and the lever Zwill be rocked to forcibly carry its inner arm against the gong c. in this way the car attendant is put on notice when the car device D has operated and is apprised of the fact that it is incumbent on him to remove the bag from the device D and take the same into the car.

The car device D is clearly shown in Figs. l and 2, and it comprises in addition to the shank 7L a forward ly-extending bag-holder p, having a bag-retainer r, a rearwardly-extending bag-holder s, and a guard t of resilient material connected at one end to the shank 7L and having its free portion resting Then the device D is in proper position for coperation with the crane, as shown in Figs. l and 2, it will be seen that the bag-holder ls lies in a plane slightly below that of the holder p. From this it follows that as the car device D passes the crane the bag previously placed on the holder s by the car attendant will be delivered to the rear bag-holder of the crane during the traverse of the car device above said bag-holder, while a bag previously placed on the forward bag-holder of the crane will be taken from said bag-holder by the forward bag-holder p of the car device. vVhen a bag is placed on the holder s of the car device D, the guard t obviously precludes casual removal or displacement of said bag and yet gives and permits the release of the bag when the eye of the same is engaged by the rear bag-holder of the crane. The retainer r of the forward bag-holder p on the device D serves, on the other hand, to permit the eye of a bag to assume a proper position on holder p and then precludes casual release of the eye, for it 'wdll be seen that when taken on the holder the eye will rest between the main portion thereof and the retainer r.

In Fig. 1 is shown a bag E adapted for use in connection with the car device D and the crane, hereinafter described. At one end the said bag E is provided with a metallic bar F. This bar F, which is secured in the material of the bag, so as to lend strength and durability thereto, is provided at its middle 6 5 with a loop u. In this loop u is arranged the metallic or other suitable eye G, which is peculiar and advantageous in that it has the lateral portions i; of considerable length and the upwardly-extending loop w, said loop w being adapted to receive the bag-holders of the dcard device and the crane. By virtue of the eye G having the upwardly-extending loop w and the lateral portions e of considerable length it will be apparent that when placed either on the car device or the crane the said eye will allow for considerable lateral rocking of the car while passing the crane, and hence will assure the proper delivery of the inail-bag from the crane to the ear device D, or vice versa.

H, Figs. 1 and 2, is a spring-arm attached to and extending laterally from the wall of the car at a point in rear of the doorway a. This arm H is adapted to cushion the bag on the holder s of device D when the said device D coperates with the crane and in that way prevent injury to the bag or any of the working parts of my apparatus while the bag is being delivered from the device D to the crane. When the eye G of the bag is engaged by the bag-holder R of the crane and the bag strikes against the spring-arm H, the said springwill give or bend backward and in toward the side of the car and in that way enable the bag to readily pass it and be taken on the said holder R.

The crane is clearly shown in Fig. l, and it comprises a fixed upright l, of wood or other suitable material, one or more segmental bars J, arranged vertically on the rear side of the upright and rhaving two transverse apertures m; a rock-shaft K,fulerun1ed or journaled on the rear side of the upright and having a lever-arm M, movable alongside the segmental bar or bars J, and also having oppositely-directed crank-arms N g a removable pin P, adapted to be placed in the apertures of the segmental bars J and a similar aper ture in the lever-arm M with a view of adjustably fixing the lever-arm in the position desired abag-holder Q, extending forwardly from the upright with reference to the direc? tion in which the ear A is designed to move for the proper operation of my-improvements, a bag-holder R, extending rearwardly from the upright, and links S, connecting the crank-arms N and the bag-holders Q and R. The said bag-holders Q and R have angular arms T, pivoted to the upright and arranged to permit of the bag-holders being swung vertically, and each bag-holder also has anotchU and a retainer V, extending inwardly from said notch. In Fig. l the bag-holders Q and R of the crane are shown in such positions as to enable the holder Q to tale a bag from the holder s of the device D on the car moving toward the left, while the holder R is arranged IOO IIO

B 3l 6,878 l .it l

lto permit the holder p ol the car device to take a bag from said holder R. New when it is desired to have the crane properly cooperate with the device D on a car moving toward the right it is simply necessary for the crane attendant to remove the pin P and swing the arm M downwardly and secure it in such position, when, as will be readily apparent, the 1holder R will rest in a plane above that of the holder| Q. In these positions of the holders Q and R the holder Q will take a bag from the car device, while the holder R will deliver a bag to the car device in the manner before described in detail. This adaptability of the crane to be adjusted for use in connection with a car traveling in either direction constitutes an important feature of my invention, and while l have en,- tered into' a detailed description oi the specific construction of the present crane l do not desire to be understood as con'lining myself to the construction herein disclosed or any other specific construction, as such changes or modiiications may be made in practice as fairly iall Within the scope oiE my invention as claimed.

/Vith theparts in the relative positions shown in Fig. l Ait will be observed that the car device D will pass over the bag-holder R ol the crane and under the bag-holder Q, with the result that the bag on the holder s will be left on the holder R oi the crane, while the holder p ol the car device will take from the crane-holder Q a bag previously placed on said holder Q.

The notches in the upper sides of the holders Q and R are designed to receive the loop u of the eye G, while the retainers on the said holders Q and R have for their function to enable the holders to readily enter and occupy the eye, while preclnding casual removal or displacement ol the eye from the holders.

lt will, be gathered from the foregoing that in addition to the advantages ascribed to my improvements the same are simple and ineX- pensive in construction, are adapted to be properly adjusted with but little effort, and are well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which such devices are ordinarily subjected.`

I claim-- 1. In a mail-bag-delivery apparatus, the combination of a car, a longitudinally-movable spring-backed device carried by the car and arranged to deliver' mail-bags to and take mail-bags from a stationary device, and a signal arranged to be actuated by movement of the said device.

2. In a mail-bagdelivery apparatus, the combination of a car, a movable device earried by the car and arranged to deliver and take mail-bags, and a signal arranged to be actuated by movement ci: said device.

3. In a mail-liiag-delivery apparatus, the combination of a car, a longitudinal shalt carried by the car and arranged to move end- Wise and turn on its axis and having a crank, a device arranged on. the shalt in position to deliver and take .inail-bags, aspring for cushi oning the shalt, a signal arranged to be actuated by endwise movement ol' the shalt, a movable device within the car, a keeper lor said device, and a connection between said device and the crank ol the endwise-movable and rocking shaft.

Il. In a mail -bag-dclivery apparatus, the combination of a car, an endwise-movable and swinging device carried by the car and arranged to deliver and take inail-bags, a signal arranged to be actuated by endwise movement ol said device, and means wit-hin the car connected with and arranged to swing l the said device.

5. ln a mail-bagdelivery apparatus, the combination oi' a car, a longitudinal shaft carried by the car and arranged to move endwisc and turn on its axis and having a crank, y

a device arranged on the shaft in position to deliver and take mail-bags, a spring `for cushioning the shaft, a gong disposed inside the car, a lever connected with the shaft and arranged to strike the gong, a lever arranged within the car, a keeper' for said lever, and a connection between the lever and the crank ol the shaft.

6. ln a mail -bag-delivery apparatus, the combination oll a car, a device carried by the car and arranged to deliver bags to and take bags from a stationary device, and a resilient bu'fler device extending laterally from the car at a point in rear el' the device for carrying bags.

7. ln a mail-bag crane, the combination of a suitable support, and bag-holders carried by the support and extending in opposite directions and arranged in diflerent horizontal planes; the said bag-holders being adjustable whereby either may be disposed in a plane above the other.

8. In a mail-bag crane, the combination of a sui table support, bag-holders carried by the support and movable up and down, and means Afor synchronously :moving one bagholder up and the other down.

9. In a mail-bag crane, the combination of a suitable support, bag-holders carried by the support and movable up and down, means for synchronously moving one holder up and the other down, and means for adjustably lining the said adjusting means.

l0. In a mail-bag crane, the combination ci a suitable support, vertically-swinging bag-holders carried by the support, a rockshalt journaled on the support and having oppositely-directed arms, links connecting said arms and the bag-holders, and means for adjustably fixing the rock-shaft in dilferent positions.

1].. ln a mail-bag-delivery amparatus, the combination with a crane comprising a support, bag-holders carried by the support and IOC arranged in diiierent horizontal planes, and I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set means for synchronously moving one holder my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witup and the other down; of a oar, and a device nesses.

carried by the car and movable over one JOHN T. NASH. 5 holder of the Crane and under the other Witnesses:

holder thereof and having bag-holders ar- E. WHITSON,

ranged to take and deliver bags. C. A. HALLENKAMP. 

